(No picture of Michael Cody was available).

Editor’s note — In the digital transfer Sumner Newscow did not see the e-mail containing the answers submitted by Leroy Lake. The following version includes his answers in the forum. Sumner Newscow apologies for any misunderstanding. 

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By Tracy McCue, Sumner Newscow — This will be the second of four candidates’ forum featured in Sumner Newscow. The mayor’s candidates forum can be found here.

Today, we are featuring five of the six Wellington residents who are vying for the city council positions. This will be for a four-year term. The answers below are from city council candidates: Leroy Lake Jim Valentine, Mary Lucas, Cindy Antonich, Mike Westmoreland and Michael Cody.

We will feature the city council candidates later this week, the Wellington school board next Sunday (divided into two parts) and the Cowley College Board of Trustees sometime next week.

Remember to vote. Voter registration ends on this Tuesday. Advance by mail voting begins on Oct. 18. Advance in person begins on Oct. 31. Election day is on Nov. 7.

1. Please provide a background of yourself, where you grew up, where you went to school, when you went to college, what your career is and any other biographical information you find pertinent to why you are running for elected office.

Lake — I grew up in the small town of Altoona, Penn., before moving to Orange County, Calif. where I graduated from Buena Park High in 1973. After high school, I attended Cypress College in Cypress, Calif., then attended and graduated from LCC with a mechanics degree. In 1987 I moved to Wellington where I was working in construction, then started my career with the City of Wellington in 1997 for the Street Department.

Valentine —  I have lived in Wellington all of my life. I attended all local schools and have been a barber by profession for 47 years. I am running for public office to help maintain what we have as a community.

Lucas — I am proud to say I grew up here in Wellington and graduated from Wellington High School. I have a well-rounded career spanning across real estate, banking, and healthcare.

Antonich — I was born right here in Wellington. I went to kindergarten and first grade here, and then we moved to Mayfield until the end of my fifth-grade year. I returned to Wellington and finished school with the class of 1970.

I went to Cosmetology College and then opened my own salon. I have been a small business owner in Wellington for 48 years. I have been a hairdresser in senior care facilities for 15 years. I have been the hairdresser at Homestead Assisted Living here in Wellington for almost three years.

I have been rescuing dogs for almost 48 years. I hosted a Garden Show for six years on our Channel 55 and served on our City Council from 2007-2011.

I have the experience to do a good job as a Council Member.

Westmoreland — I grew up here in Wellington, graduating high school in 1989.  I attended Coffeyville Community College for one year and transferred to Baker University on a football scholarship. I studied Biology while there. After a few injuries, I returned home.

I began my career in Law Enforcement with the Wellington Police Department in 1993.  I moved to Winfield in 2008, where I worked for the Winfield Police Department for seven years.  I returned to Wellington in 2015 with the Sumner County Sheriff’s Office as the Captain. I was appointed Undersheriff in July of 2021. I’ve always been interested in running for city office. It started back when I worked for the Police Department. I want to be involved.

Cody — My name is Michael L Cody, and I am a lifelong Wellington resident. I graduated from USD 353. I served in the USMC and retired from Boeing.

2. Why should we vote for you to represent us for Wellington City Council?

Cody — I will represent the people of Wellington in a fair and open manner. I believe the people of Wellington should be able to speak at City Council meetings without having to be put on the agenda. The City Council is here to listen to what its residents have to say and to address those concerns.

Lake — There are a lot of amazing people running for City Council and we would be lucky to have any one of them be elected. I have been a part of the city for many years, from helping with the Recycling Center to Wheat Fest. I have lots of insight and have made an impact on the town in a positive way and would continue to do so if elected.

Valentine — I believe in the people of this town. They are Wellington! If I don’t believe in myself, how can I possibly believe in anyone else? As for voting for me, people know I’ve always had their best interests at heart.

Lucas — As a single-income, working parent at home, I can relate to the concerns many of our citizens have with rising costs. I believe there are opportunities to maintain conservative city spending and still support the need for community growth and investment.

Antonich — I am still very proud of my record as a City Council member. I believe that the City Council members are elected to serve the taxpayers and the people as a whole. I don’t like nonsense spending.

Westmoreland — I try to make the best decision with the information I have given to me at the time.  I feel I’m a good listener and take everyone’s thoughts into making the decision, even though it may not always be the most popular.

3. Here’s the ultimate question: How do we bring more jobs/businesses to the community?

Westmoreland — If we don’t enforce our codes and clean our community up, this isn’t going to happen.  It’s not very welcoming for someone to take a drive through town and notice all the houses that need fixed and yards cleaned.

We have to give incentives to the businesses.  We are losing out to other cities that are doing this to attract new business, and with that comes more housing.

Cody — First, we need to figure out why the people are working in Wellington and don’t want to live in our community.

Lake — That is absolutely a good question. What does Wellington have to offer, new companies to come in??? With the closing of the hospital and loss of major aircraft that is going to be a very tough sell.

Valentine — Our Nation is struggling, our state is struggling. We must look beyond that. This city needs to show what we have to offer. We need to develop a product that we can market and sell. People plus products plus money equals economic growth. We have a chance at that, and certain parties have turned it away.

Lucas — It would be a wonderful day if a simple answer existed to this question. Bringing new business to a community is a very complex process. Continuing to utilize the resources and expertise of our Sumner County Economic Development and building on our partnerships with downtown real estate owners and existing businesses are great places to start.

Antonich — Economic Development has the resources to go after businesses. City Council Members should support all avenues of possible business interests.

4. Do you believe we are doing enough as far as economic development is concerned? Would you be in favor of handling economic development within the offices of the city of Wellington?

Antonich — I think an Economic Development employee for the City, with good grant writing skills, might be a good move to make while partnering with Sumner County Economic Development. We need businesses to come to Wellington.

Westmoreland — I don’t think the city is in a position to take economic development right now.  The staff with economic development are doing what they can, I think there could be better communication between the city and economic development staff; although it has gotten better, there is always room to improve.

Cody — I believe we already have these services in the City and County. I don’t think we need to be making the City government’s footprint any larger.

Lake — Absolutely not!!! Economic development is purely and simply the creation of wealth in which community benefits are created. There are only three approaches used to enhance local economic development. They are: Business Retention and Expansion – enhancing existing businesses. Business Expansion – attracting new business. It takes more then one vote to achieve this goal.

Valentine — Economic development is only as good as the City and County work together. I believe there has not been enough forward motion put into view for the public. Everything is always a secret. Let people know what is going on in the City and County. Both need to be working a little harder together.

Lucas — New opportunities can arise every year to bolster our economic development goals. Various funding streams and grants, including tapping into possible state-funded rural development programs, allow the city to always explore new, innovative ways to improve our infrastructure and business opportunities. To allow such programs to succeed, it’s imperative the city of Wellington be open to innovation. Having a city planner who can partner with our county’s economic development team would only benefit our community.

5. What do you think is the future of the Wellington swimming pool?

Lucas — We need a community pool. Having amenities not only supports the quality of life for our citizens and youth but also helps with economic growth. Research and cost comparisons need to be developed regarding any options to repair and maintain our current pool or replace it with a new pool. I personally would like to see it replaced so our youth and families can have decades more summer enjoyment.

Antonich — I honestly don’t have enough valuable information to answer this question. I would need to know, for a fact, what’s going on with the aquatic center, before I make a statement about what is going to happen to the pool.

Westmoreland — It needs fixed. I am not sure how much longer it can last in its current condition.  A new pool will need to be built in the future. There is going to have to be some talks on how to fund a new pool now instead of later, we need to prepare now.  It does not make money but it’s needed for the children of the community and their activities.

Cody — We need to figure out where it’s leaking before we can answer this.

Lake — I feel very strongly that the pool is an activity that needs kept.

Valentine — The future is up to the people. What do they want? At present, the pool is holding its own. Nothing lasts forever, even if it is done properly.

6. What are your budget priorities?

Valentine — Since 2007, my priorities have been for the health, safety and welfare of the people of this town. Caring about what they need, not what special interest wants.

Lucas — I’m looking forward to analyzing our city budget in a more detailed capacity. One of the many areas I’m interested in is our road infrastructure and maintenance schedules. We have many crumbling side roads in our community, and I want to develop a greater knowledge of how our repair timelines work, what that looks like within our costs, and where there may be opportunities for improvement throughout the process.

Antonich — Cut the budget enough to lower utilities, lower taxes, and fix the streets.

Westmoreland — My priorities are the infrastructure of the city. We need to invest in the roads, new water lines, electric and keeping the current employees.  We have to invest in our employees. They are who keep this city running.

Cody — INFRASTRUCTURE.

Lake — My first priority would be to figure out how to make it leaner without interrupting service.

7. Where do you see opportunities for economic growth, and how does the community capitalize on them?

Lake — We need to start with our small businesses, we have to start building an outstanding business climate and ideal places to live. 

Cody — I believe if we cleaned Wellington up, we would see growth. Through equal code enforcement and making it affordable to live in, we would attract businesses and people.

Valentine — Economic growth depends on people and jobs. Like I said before, find a niché, market it, develop it and move forward. Also, you have to decide if you want a busy downtown or keep moving towards the turnpike. You cannot have them both. We simply do not have tax base to support both.

Lucas — Our downtown. Cities, especially rural cities, need an active downtown. We have many wonderful businesses currently in our downtown corridor with the potential to add more. As community members, we must support our local businesses and frequent them regularly. As a city, we must continue to look for and take advantage of any rural development funds and opportunities to support the rehab of our downtown corridor so it’s marketable to new businesses and industries that could call our wonderful downtown home.

Antonich — I am in favor of helping new businesses grow in the downtown area. We capitalize on the jobs created and the money being spent in Wellington. Looking into the East corridor for industrial growth could be another viable option.

Westmoreland — We need to recruit companies; we have empty buildings that could work for their use.  But unless we clean up the city as stated above, these companies will be hard-pressed to relocate here. We need to show we have pride in our city and not complain so much on social media platforms.

If you’re going to have an opinion (complain) bring a solution.  People interested in relocating here do their research by checking social media pages.  They see all the negative and that some citizens don’t support anything the city is trying to accomplish; there is no reason for them to come here.

8. How do we improve the perception of Wellington both within and outside of the community?

Westmoreland — I mentioned above we need to clean our city up. I know potential business owners drive here to look at our city and housing, but we need to address both.  We can advertise outside the community through face-to-face meetings and social media platforms.

Lake — Get rid of negative social media. We need more positive social entertainment for all age ranges, from concerts to fairs, to bringing other towns in and Wellington expanding. As small as a butterfly garden and as big as a splash pad. Improvements to the city, for the city.

Cody — Same as answer 3 – First, we need to figure out why the people are working in Wellington and don’t want to live in our community.

Valentine — When people see a community that is not unified, working together, taking away our heritage, our way of life, you are going to have problems. New does not always mean better. Remember that old saying (remember when).

Lucas — We all have our frustrations with our city. However, we must shift to a solutions-oriented mindset. The evolution of cities is a marathon, not a sprint. We as a community must come together with the understanding that change is necessary and good. We can’t continue to focus only on our list of struggles but need to start focusing on the path to solving those struggles. With that, any perceived negative perceptions of the city will fade as we grow into an even greater Wellington.

Antonich — We need to get tough on derelict houses, trash and overgrown yards, high taxes, high utility rates, and bad streets.

9. Do you have anything else to add?

Antonich — Go Vote!

Westmoreland — Editor’s note: Westmoreland didn’t answer this question.

Lake — Editor’s note: Lake didn’t answer this question.

Cody — I want to see the quiet zone implemented, and I’m opposed to putting an overpass on Jefferson Street. The city takes full responsibility for maintenance after it’s completed another expense it cannot afford or the eye sore in downtown Wellington.

Valentine — I love this town, I love what it was, I love what it can be, but not by destroying the past. Remembering the way it was and can be again.

Lucas — I’m thrilled to have this potential opportunity to represent our community and the city of Wellington on our City Council if elected. Wellington has always been home to me, no matter where in the state I have lived. I hope to provide a positive contribution to the continued improvement of our small town and watch it prosper for generations to come.

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